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Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition, often starting in late adolescence. People often experience psychosis meaning that they lose some contact with reality.

Schizophrenia affects how a person behaves, thinks, and feels. The lost sense of reality can cause significant distress for individuals and their loved ones.


Signs

Signs & symptoms of schizophrenia are classified into positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive difficulties.

  • Positive symptoms: are any experiences that are added to reality, these include psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
  • Hallucinations: People with schizophrenia may experience things that don’t exist. For example, they may hear, see, smell or sense things that no one else can. People with schizophrenia commonly experience auditory hallucinations, they tend to hear voices in their head, sometimes commenting on their actions or commanding them to do something. 
  • Delusions: A person with schizophrenia may have strong beliefs based on mistaken and unrealistic views. This is known as a delusion. Delusions can affect the way a person behaves in front of people. Examples of delusions include thinking people are following them, that people are out to get them or kill them, or that their food or water is being poisoned.
  • Disorganized thinking: Schizophrenia affects a person’s cognitive thinking. For example, they might start talking quickly or slowly, switch topics, or their words may be jumbled. This makes it hard for others to make sense of what is happening, and it may be difficult to hold conversations.
  • Negative symptoms are any experiences that are taken away from reality. Some signs include:
  • Loss of interest in pleasurable activities: People with schizophrenia may lose interest in activities such as hobbies or they may have a reduced sexual drive. 
  • Social withdrawal: People with schizophrenia can appear to lose interest in social interactions with people around them and appear emotionless.
  • Cognitive difficulties: People with schizophrenia may find it harder to concentrate, process information, and make decisions.  They may have trouble keeping to a schedule or completing what they have started.
  • Struggle with daily life: People with schizophrenia may stop caring about their hygiene and stop bathing. They may struggle with their sleep and often change their sleeping patterns.